nate coulter
Central Arkansas school district drops library’s digital learning tools, citing lack of ‘filter’
More than 11,000 Pulaski County students are unable to access online educational materials through their local public library as a legal precaution, according to school district administrators, in light of the statewide debate over what content children should be able to access in libraries. The Pulaski County Special School District, which covers the rest of […]
Federal judge temporarily blocks two sections of Arkansas’ library obscenity law
A federal judge temporarily blocked portions of the law that would have changed how Arkansas libraries handle controversial material and put the availability of certain books in the hands of elected officials. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks granted plaintiffs’ request to enjoin two of the five sections of Act 372 of 2023, which would alter […]
Arkansas libraries revise policies in anticipation of law on ‘obscene’ content taking effect
Librarians across Arkansas are preparing in different ways for a new state law that is set to take effect next week and changes how libraries handle controversial material. Some library systems have altered their existing material reconsideration forms in hopes of handling future book challenges smoothly and in compliance with the law. Others have come […]
State of Arkansas and Crawford County sued over library obscenity law
The Central Arkansas Library System and 17 other plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit Friday against both the state and Crawford County, alleging that two sections of a new law that directly affects library operations are unconstitutional. Act 372 of 2023 alters libraries’ material reconsideration processes and creates criminal liability for librarians who distribute content that […]
17 plaintiffs plan to challenge Arkansas’ library obscenity law
The Central Arkansas Library System and 16 other plaintiffs plan to sue the state of Arkansas over two sections of a new law that changes how libraries handle material that some consider “obscene.” The CALS board of directors voted Thursday to file a federal lawsuit challenging the portions of Act 372 of 2023 that alter […]